Dwayner

Mr. Kassidy: Your description of the Muir tracks could indeed be evidence that the Great One was had passed through. With all of this news about people stranded on Liberty Ridge, you can almost bet Big Lou came to the rescue. Do you think he has his own chopper license? (And maybe his own chopper?) I bet you that with one hand on the controls, he could hover over the Ridge and if he couldn't grab these guys by the scruff of their necks and toss 'em in the back seat, he could probably snag all four with an ice axe and fly away to a parking lot. Or maybe he got dropped off, hooked all of them guys to his harness, and paraglided down to Ipsut Creek with his Super-Lou Paraglider!! Bartender? Would you bring me a couple more pitchers of whatever we've been drinking... Now everybody raise your glasses. You, too, Iambone. "To Big Lou!"

Iambone: Come here! Step over here for a second.... For your cultural education, young feller, one's pie-hole is where one put's one's pie, i.e. one's mouth. Another variation is "cake-hole". It's been around for some time. It sounds like one of those tough-guy expressions from the 1940's aimed at loud fat women, e.g. "Shut your pie-hole!" Seen the old "chicken bolts" up on Outer Space. There's a few up on Classic Crack in Icicle Canyon as well. I think ScottP could be right about the lack of big pins although it wouldn't necessarily have been on the first ascent. Some of those early boys were bolder than most of us and used wooden blocks and such. I always thought the ones on Classic Crack were because most people weren't jamming cracks back then, but were laybacking them (if they didn't want to use aid). Go forth and do bold things. - Dwayner

Pope! Dredereck! Excellent commentary on the bolt pimps and sport "climbers"! I saw what happened to Dan's Direct on Castle Rock so I suppose Snow Creek wall is next. Imabone: step inside for a second....remember what I said about your pie-hole? Rock on! - Dwayner

Hey Imabone. You must be a fellow solo climber because after reading some of your excretions above, I'm finding it increasingly hard to believe that anyone would climb with you. When you end your posts with a personally-directed wise-ass comments like above, you're perpetuating animosity with a potential stranger. You don't know who I am. I could be Tom Hornbein for all you know (by the way, I'm not) or someone else you'd feel embarassed popping off to. So watch the pie-hole, my friend, and if bags of doo start appearing on my porch, I know where they came from. Your xenophobic blaming of foreigners for messes in the mountains is naive. Yes, there are certain cultures in the world that have reputations for apparent ecological unconcern, but I'm sure the garbage I've seen in the Cascades didn't all originate from some "German or something" sounding folks. And the guys who steal climbing gear aren't secret agents from the former Soviet Union either. They're probably fellow climbers! So carry on, mister, get out of that gym, and enjoy your first trip to Leavenworth. (If I were you'd, I'd blow off that silly "Rock-fest", get up damn early in the morning and head up Snow Creek wall. You just might find it more satisfying than following a bunch of goofy-ass sketchpad-toting boulder-crimpers around the Icicle on the scheduled canyon tour!) Shalom, - Dwayner

Hey Kevin and Max! Check out what Iambone has to say above about pulling weeds. I think he makes a good point. I would elaborate on that by considering whether pulling weeds at all is appropriate. They are part of the natural flora, you know, and should we be pulling them just because they might be inconvenient to climbers? Haul out trash? No question. Weeds? Give it some thought, eh? Any other opinions out there on uprooting plants? Is the Icicle forest service land? If so, you might want to ask them what their policy about removing natural vegetation. good job, lads! - Dwayner

I'mabone! You're such an angry young man! It sure sounds like you make friends easily! Maybe that's why you're having loads of fun picking up trash from the base of the Captain rather than actually climbing it. Just a few comments: Just because climbing is commercialized doesn't mean I need to approve or otherwise endore that fact. I believe that there is such thing as overcommercialization such as inviting everyone over to a climbing area to sell your crap. Yes, I am a solo-climbing bad-ass. The mags, when I have looked at them, make me puke. Hypocrite? Because I own some gear? Read my comment above about commercialization. I'd be more of a hypocrite if I actually wasted my time climbing in a gym. I'm not keeping you or anyone else from having any fun. By the way, for someone who has never been to Leavenworth, you sure have a big opinion about the Icicle! Although I think the vast bulk of your message is bombastic folly, you make a good point about the weeds. I say, leave them be. P.S. I'mabone! Take a valium and relax.

Pope. You're one dirty bird. After reading several of your smart-ass nonsensical messages on this site, I think you've got a serious problem with women; you're very disrespectful to the female race. Donna sounds right-on to me (and no, I'm not interested in the little "vixen"). So quit making up the sordid stories and get real, because isn't that what life's all about? And Donna: I think responding to Pope only encourages him. He's obviously out to amuse his buddies. Hang tough, lady! - Dwayner P.S. Hey Pope! Got any pictures? She sounds HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!!!

Just what the Icicle needs, complete with a bouldering tour! And I used to complain about the Mountaineers showing up in multiple school buses! Can't wait to learn how to take my indoor "skills" outdoors and learn how to fall! But seriously folks, have a good time promoting your gear, shops and gyms but count me OUT from your shameless commercialization. I think Kevin's idea about spending some time caring for the Icicle instead of just USING it is a truly awesome idea. P.S. It ain't just the local teenagers leaving garbage at the crags! (The gri-gri squeezers in the gyms, for one, probably aren't taught their wilderness manners.)

Greetings, everybody! Is it just me, or are the rest of you folks starting to miss the snappy patter that once ensued within topics such as Big Lou, Jr.? Haven't seen much of it the last few days. Maybe everybody's out climbing! Anyway, that sort of banter sure makes it fun amidst the more serious stuff. And it's not really spray in my book. I guess if it's a separate topic, it shouldn't bother anyone. The title might suggest it's controversial or non-technical as oppossed to Mt. Rainier route conditions. Speaking of Mt. Rainier, anyone see any triple ski tracks up there near the guide's shelter at Camp Muir? Where are you, Big Lou, Jr.? - Dwayner